"Grace is going to the House to-morrow," she said, quietly. "She is
looking out her things now. I dare say she is wanting me this minute
to assist her." Thereupon Mrs. Melbury left the room.
Nothing is more remarkable than the independent personality of the
tongue now and then. Mr. Melbury knew that his words had been a sort
of boast. He decried boasting, particularly to Giles; yet whenever the
subject was Grace, his judgment resigned the ministry of speech in
spite of him.
Winterborne felt surprise, pleasure, and also a little apprehension at
the news. He repeated Mrs. Melbury's words.
"Yes," said paternal pride, not sorry to have dragged out of him what
he could not in any circumstances have kept in. "Coming home from the
woods this afternoon we met Mrs. Charmond out for a ride. She spoke to
me on a little matter of business, and then got acquainted with Grace.
'Twas wonderful how she took to Grace in a few minutes; that
freemasonry of education made 'em close at once. Naturally enough she
was amazed that such an article--ha, ha!--could come out of my house.
At last it led on to Mis'ess Grace being asked to the House. So she's
busy hunting up her frills and furbelows to go in." As Giles remained
in thought without responding, Melbury continued: "But I'll call her
down-stairs."
"No, no; don't do that, since she's busy," said Winterborne.
Melbury, feeling from the young man's manner that his own talk had been
too much at Giles and too little to him, repented at once. His face
changed, and he said, in lower tones, with an effort, "She's yours,
Giles, as far as I am concerned."
"Thanks--my best thanks....But I think, since it is all right between
us about the biddings, that I'll not interrupt her now. I'll step
homeward, and call another time."
On leaving the house he looked up at the bedroom again. Grace,
surrounded by a sufficient number of candles to answer all purposes of
self-criticism, was standing before a cheval-glass that her father had
lately bought expressly for her use; she was bonneted, cloaked, and
gloved, and glanced over her shoulder into the mirror, estimating her
aspect. Her face was lit with the natural elation of a young girl
hoping to inaugurate on the morrow an intimate acquaintance with a new,
interesting, and powerful friend.